Which law of inheritance states that different traits are inherited independently?

The law of inheritance that states that different traits are inherited independently is the law of independent assortment. This principle suggests that the alleles for separate traits are passed on to offspring independently of one another during the formation of gametes.

During meiosis, the distribution of one pair of alleles into gametes does not influence the distribution of other pairs of alleles. This means that if an organism has multiple traits, the inheritance of one trait will not affect the inheritance of another trait. For example, when considering two traits, such as seed shape and seed color in pea plants, the combination of these traits in the offspring can vary independently, leading to a variety of genetic combinations.

This law is important for understanding genetic variation in populations and helps explain the genetic diversity observed in offspring as a result of independent assortment during reproduction. The law of independent assortment particularly applies when genes are located on different chromosomes or are far apart on the same chromosome, as their inheritance patterns are not linked.

The other laws mentioned do not address the concept of independent inheritance of traits. The law of segregation focuses on how alleles for a single trait separate during gamete formation, while the law of dominance describes how dominant alleles can mask the presence of recessive alleles in determining